Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officials say they’ve received 25 reports of dead manatees in Lee County between February 13 and 18. Most of these reports came from the Orange River and nearby areas in Fort Myers. It’s a worrying spike, and early signs point to cold stress as a likely cause, but the investigation is still underway.
On Thursday, Lee County’s Manatee Park on State Road 80 had to close unexpectedly, but it reopened later that day. The county spokesperson didn’t comment on the manatee deaths at the park and referred all questions to the FWC.
The canal running through Manatee Park stays warm because the Florida Power and Light Power Plant across the street pumps out warm water as a byproduct of cooling its equipment. That canal empties into the Orange River. For manatees to face this much cold stress, water temperatures have to stay unusually cold for quite a while, according to the FWC.
If you spot a manatee that looks injured, stressed, or worse, you can help. Call the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922). That way, their team can step in quickly. For information myfwc.com.
